Item 02: Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett articles on the Gallipoli campaign, 1915 - Page 50
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[Page 50]
was the yacht Triad which also came in for a heavy fire and was hit several times. In fact this yacht without any armour or protection behaved with the greatest gallantry as also did the destroyers. About 4.30 am the battleship Canopus which has played such a gallant and varied role all over the world in this was stood in close to the Albion and got a wire hawser aboard and attempted to tow her off under a very heavy fire. But the cable immediately snapped. Two others were however made fast and the towing recommenced.
The crew of the Albion were all ordered aft and made to jump on the quarter deck to try and shift her bows off the sandbank, at the same time the Albion's foreturret and fore six inch guns opened up a tremendous bombardment on the Turkish positions to lighten the ship and to try and shift her by the concussion of the guns. For a long time all these efforts were of no avail but in the end at about ten am perserverance and the towing of the Canopus prevailed and we had the great satisfaction of seeing the two vessels glide slowly into deep water without either having suffered much harm. The Albion was hit over two houndred times by shrapnel and common shell which had little or no effect on her thick armour. The casualties amongst the crew were also few.
The remainder of the day passed without any further definite news of the enemy's submarines although it was reported that one was seen making in the direction of Smyrna whilst other reports credited her with having gone up the Dardanelles. In fact no one was sure whether there were two boats or one operating in our midst. That night we remained at our old anchorage off Cape Helles. On the following day